Annually since 2002, the Crook County Cultural Coalition, fiscally sponsored by the Crook County Foundation, has awarded grant funds to art and cultural projects in Crook County. The funds come from the Oregon Cultural Trust, which was established in 2001 under HB 2923. This legislation established a tax credit for direct contributions to the Oregon Cultural Trust for Cultural Development – a long-term public/private funding initiative designed to preserve and strengthen culture for all Oregonians. Funds raised through the Oregon Cultural Trust are distributed to county Cultural Coalitions and tribes to support local cultural projects and collaborations through competitive grants. The funds also support cultural projects of regional and statewide significance. The more that local residents donate to the Oregon Cultural Trust, the more our county receives for grants.
The local Crook County Cultural Coalition, led by chair Tom Jay, meets annually to review applications, and determine how to best support local arts and culture. The Cultural Coalition has 6 priorities that it uses to evaluate each project application:
Priority 1: Engage K-12 youth in the arts, heritage, and culture
Priority 2: Protect the investment in existing cultural resources
Priority 3: Provide programs for young adults to further their cultural development.
Priority 4: Support cultural programs that stimulate economic growth.
Priority 5: Encourage broader appreciation of the cultural traditions of diverse ethnic groups.
Priority 6: Foster local cultural identity and improve marketing and promotion of a variety of cultural activities/opportunities.
This year, like past years, there were more financial requests than the coalition had the means to fund. The board diligently discussed each applicant looking at what impact the proposed program would have, how much additional support the program has if the grant awarded will not fund it all, if it is a new proposal or program, and how well the requestor has followed through with post-grant reporting in the past. Typically grant recipients are awarded their checks in a public ceremony held at the Crook County Library. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are unable to host this celebration this year, but will be recognizing the recipients in other ways.
We are honored to announce the following awards:
The Crooked River Roundup received $3,000 towards their planning efforts of the 75th anniversary “Re-ride Rodeo” this June. The rodeo is a long-time tradition in our community that unites western culture and heritage, as well is one of the most significant tourism events in the county. Being unable to host the rodeo or horse races in 2020, the board is working towards hosting the 2021 event in honor of the 75th anniversary.
The Grimes Christmas Scene was awarded $1,500 to be utilized for improved marketing. Thousands of individuals have enjoyed the 87-year-old display of Christmas and holiday scenes. With this grant, the Grimes family will be able to expand their overall attendance with improved promotion and make the venue open at times of the year outside of the holiday season.
One Decision Management, LLC, a local event and nonprofit management business, received $2,500 which will be used to provide youth and adult hands-on art demonstrations at a new arts and cultural festival that will be launched later this summer. The festival will feature a wide range of art vendors, performances from multiple cultural groups, and hands-on demonstration areas where you can take classes and experiment with different types of art forms.
The Crook County Fairgrounds was awarded $1,500 to purchase and install live streaming equipment in the outdoor grandstands, indoor arena, and pavilion tent. This will increase the ability for events hosted in these facilities to be streamed online providing access to people throughout the community and world who may be unable to attend the events in person.
We hope that you will support these important cultural and heritage programs through the year by providing additional donations, attending their performances/events, and sharing this information with your friends and family. To learn more about the Oregon Cultural Trust, please visit their website www.oregonculturaltrust.com. For more information about the Crook County Cultural Coalition, please contact Chairman Tom Jay at 541-350-8752 or Brandi Ebner, Crook County Foundation Executive Director at 541-362-1210 or email info@crookcountyfoundation.org.